Cleaning and Organizing Checklist

The purpose of this checklist is not for you to feel overwhelmed or inadequate if you don't follow it! It is simply a rough guideline for "keeping house" and when to do those things you may wonder about- like vacumming out the air conditioning vents.

Schedule these items on your monthly/daily calendar as you see the timeline approaching.

Kitchens
Daily Cleaning Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes or loading the dishwasher Wipe down the stove top Wipe down the counters Sweep, Swiffer, or vacuum the floor	Daily Organizing Put everything back that is out of it’s location Wash the dishes Set the breakfast table/area Take out what doesn’t belong in the kitchen out of the kitchen, or at least corrall odds and ends in a basket which is emptied at the end of the week
Weekly Cleaning Mop the floor Wipe the cabinets, backsplashes, and appliances Wash the dish rack Wipe the inside of the garbage can	Weekly Organizing Create a Meal plan Grocery shop Throw away excess plastic bags Fill up the trash can with a stack of garbage bags at the bottom Refill napkins, placemats, and kitchen towels Empty the odds and ends basket Go through coupons and paperclip them to your calendar by expiration date
Biweekly Cleaning Wipe the switch plates and phone Wipe down the baseboards with a microfiber dust cloth or wet wipe Empty and scrub down the inside of the refrigerator	Biweekly Organizing Declutter your cleaning supplies Reorganize your pots and pans with a pot lid sliding drawer or just by putting paper towels between each pot to protect them from damage Clean and organize your pet food areas Organize your junk drawer by taking everything out and organizing odds and ends in small dishes, flower pots, or plastic bags.
Monthly Cleaning Clean your freezer Run these through the dishwasher: Burner grids and knobs, Brushes and combs, Toothbrushes, Plastic utensil organizer, Refrigerator drawers, Drain catch, Sponges, Dish rack, Plastic toys, Glassware	Monthly Organizing Rotate the food in your freezer, use it up, and check to see what you need in terms of bulk food Go through your plastic containers and weed out ones you don’t use. Take them all out of the cabinets and put them somewhere that makes sense- perhaps in a covered wicker basket or on a lazy susan
Seasonal Cleaning Empty and clean the insides of the utensil drawers Scrub down the cupboard exteriors Clean the stove-hood filter Wipe down your pantry	Seasonal Organizing Organize your tools that are kept in the kitchen Reorganize your dishes, tablecloths, mugs, bowls, glassware, plates in your kitchen cabinets and shelves by sorting them and saying goodbye to what you don’t use, what’s missing, and what’s unecessary Go through your spices, making sure they still are fresh Go Bulk Shopping and organize your bulk storage Organize your recipes by laminating or storing in binders, purge recipes/cookbooks
Living Rooms
Daily Cleaning Vaccum with an electric broom Fluff the cushions and fold throws after use Wipe tabletops and spot-clean cabinets when you see fingerprints Straighten coffee-table books and magazines. Throw out newspapers. Put away CDs and videos.	Daily Organizing Pick up stray items off of the floor and put them in their proper place, or in a wicker basket that gets emptied weekly. Put remotes back in the basket Straighten up your pile of books and magazines Fold your blankets and throws Write down messages and go through the family’s schedule with the family Open up mail and discard junk, put either in action files for papers requiring action or "to-file"
Weekly Cleaning Dust all surfaces — including electronics, books, blinds, picture frames, windowsills and ledges, and tops of door frames — and remove all cobwebs Dust-mop the floors with a microfiber cloth or a Swiffer, or vacuum the rugs and carpeting Throw out old magazines Wipe and disinfect the telephone Shake out or vacuum the doormat	Weekly Organizing Sort through the toys to put in their correct locations
Biweekly Cleaning Vacuum the heating and air-conditioning vents Wipe the switch plates, doorknobs, and doorjambs Vacuum the upholstery Wipe down the baseboards with a microfiber dust cloth or wet wipe Lift big pieces of furniture and vacuum or mop underneath	Biweekly Organizing Throw away old magazines when the new ones come inCut out pictures you want to save from a magazine and store in a binder
Seasonal Cleaning Wash the insides of the windows Take down curtains and drapes and dryclean them Take down vertical blinds and wash them in the bathtub	Seasonal Organizing Rearrange your books File and organize your hard copies of pictures or your digital pics Go through CDs and videos you no longer use
Bathrooms
Daily Cleaning Wipe out the sink Swoosh the toilet bowl with a brush Wipe the mirror and faucet Squeegee the shower door Spray the entire shower and the curtain liner with shower mist after every use Wipe around the tub Sweep the floor (keep a broom in the bathroom)	Daily Organizing Put items back where they belong-toothpaste, brushes, makeup Take items out of bathroom that don’t belong in there
Weekly Cleaning Scrub the tub Scrub the tiles Mop the Floor Empty the trashcan and wash out bin Wipe down lightswitches and doorknobs Change towels	Weekly Organizing Organize your bathroom cabinets, folding towels, putting away toiletries
Seasonal Cleaning Take down the shower curtain, then launder it according to the care instructions	Seasonal Organizing Go through your medicine chest and weed out medicines
Bedrooms
Daily Cleaning Pick up all dirty clothes and put into hampers	Daily Organizing Hang up clothes-decide what needs to be washed or hung Make beds Straighten up nightstands and tabletops Put away jewelry
Weekly Cleaning Change the sheets Dust all surfaces — including electronics, books, picture frames, windowsills and ledges, and tops of door frames Dust or mop the floors or vacuum the carpeting, under the bed Throw out old magazines Wipe and disinfect the telephone Empty the wastebasket	Weekly Organizing Hang up all laundry Go through closet and purge what you no longer wear
Biweekly Cleaning Wipe the switch plates, doorknobs, and doorjambs Wipe down the baseboards with a microfiber dust cloth or wet wipe	Biweekly Organizing Keep a "to donate" pile and fill it up everytime you notice something from your drawers or closets that needs to be donated
Seasonal Cleaning Vacuum the heating and air-conditioning vents and the inside of the closet Wash the insides of the windows Strip the bed and flip the mattress Launder the mattress pad and dust ruffle	Seasonal Organizing Go through out of season clothing and store in bins or under bed

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